Should
the Fayetteville Bulldogs take this thing all the way down to the final week of
the season, they can look back on this week's trip to Fort Smith as the halfway
point.
No, not because Fort Smith is anywhere near halfway to Little Rock,
but because this is the seventh week of what any Class AAAAA state-championship
team hopes is a 14-game season.
That said, we're short on time for messing
around with in-depth discussions of karma, philosophy or negative comments in
newspapers about upcoming football games.
It's all been covered here before
at some point.
This week, we'll do everybody a favor and just pick the
winners.
Last week, RPS posted a record of 80-18 and is chugging along at
493-103-5 (82.7 percent) this season.
No. 3 Fayetteville at Fort Smith
Northside
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at
Mayo-Thompson Stadium
Records: The Fayetteville Bulldogs and their new
coach, Daryl Patton, are both 6-0 in 2003. The Bulldogs are 3-0 in the
AAAAA-West Conference and Patton is 40-20 at the high-school level, having spent
five years (1998-2002) at Bryant. Fort Smith Northside is 1-5 overall and 1-2 in
the AAAAA-West Conference. In his second season at the helm, Darrell Henry has a
6-10-1 record with the Grizzlies.
The series: Northside has dominated
the series, leading 19-5 since the two teams began competing in what is now the
AAAAA-West Conference and the Grizzlies lead 28-7 if you take the series all the
way back to when Northside and Southside split in the mid-1960s.
Last
year: Fayetteville was an 8-point favorite on Homecoming at Harmon Field,
but who would have known the Grizzlies were going to come into town in
"unstoppable" mode. Northside took advantage of Fayetteville mistakes on the
first two Bulldogs' drives and then rammed the ball at Fayetteville the rest of
the evening in a 50-32 victory.
Notable stats: Always looking for new statistics
that tell a better story, RPS has come up with another this week: "Percentage of
possible yards gained." To explain, this is the total number of yards an offense
gains divided by the number of total yards the offense could have gained during
the course of a football game. While Fayetteville outgained Van Buren by only
four yards, 288-284, the percentage of the possible yards that could be gained
were far greater in Fayetteville's favor. The Bulldogs gained 288 of 329
possible yards, a whopping 87.5 percent of the yardage available. Van Buren
gained 284, but needed to travel 771 and only gained 36.8 percent of the
necessary yardage.
Outlook: The first thing that jumps out at
Fayetteville fans this week is the fact that their Purple Dogs are ranked behind
Springdale in the Northwest Arkansas Times Top 40.
It's not an oversight. It
simply means that based on current performance - a component that few other
"computerized" systems utilize - Springdale is the better team this
week.
Since Fayetteville and Springdale do not play each other, it really
doesn't matter, though, does it?
But how does that happen when Fayetteville
beat Springdale two weeks ago?
In 200 words or less, it's because
Fayetteville was not as impressive in a 52-3 victory over Van Buren as
Springdale was in a 48-17 win over Russellville. Fayetteville's three conference
wins have come over teams that are a combined 1-8. Springdale's three conference
games have come against teams that are a combined, 6-3.
RPS Bottom
Line: All of the above is just a smoke screen and distracts from the task at
hand for Fayetteville. The Bulldogs have not had loads of success against
Northside, but this is a Grizzlies team heading for its first seven-loss season
since 1978 ... Fayetteville 25, Northside 6.
No. 36 Bentonville at No. 2
Springdale
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at
Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium
Records: Bentonville coach Gary Wear
(18-10) has led the Tigers to a 2-3 record. Bentonville is 2-1 in conference
play. Gus Malzahn (22-9) leads the Springdale Bulldogs into the contest with a
3-3 overall record, 1-2 in the AAAAA-West Conference.
The series: Springdale is
13-2-1 since the Tigers and Bulldogs began playing continuously in
1987.
Last year: Springdale was a 12-point favorite going into
Bentonville and the Bulldogs, who went on to win a share of the AAAAA-West
Conference title, came out of Bentonville with a 27-17
victory.
Notable
stats: Brandon
Martinez completed eight passes last week and five of them went for touchdowns
to four different Springdale receivers. Brett Buresh caught two of those
touchdown passes, doubling his number of times into the end zone this
season.
Outlook: Is Springdale all better after a three-game losing
streak?
Seems so following the blowout of Russellville last week. Springdale
led 28-10 at halftime and opened the lead to 38 points, invoking the "mercy"
rule with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.
Bentonville found its way
into the win column two weeks ago and kept things going with a 10-9 win over
Northside. Tristan Tiarks had his best game of the year, rushing 26 times for 91
yards and scoring Bentonville's only touchdown in the win.
RPS Bottom
Line: Both teams have had to overcome three-game losing streaks, but the
fact of the matter is that Springdale's one win over Russellville outweighs the
two victories by Bentonville over the likes of Van Buren and Northside
... Springdale 38, Bentonville
14.
No.
15 Russellville at No. 8 Rogers
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Gates
Stadium
Records: The Russellville Cyclones are 2-4 overall and 0-3 in
the AAAAA-West Conference under Jeff Holt, who has a 28-25 record in five years
at the Cyclones' helm. The Rogers Mountaineers (5-1) are led by Ronnie Peacock,
who is 8-18 in his third season as the Mounties mentor. Rogers is 2-1 in the
AAAAA-West Conference, tied with Bentonville for third place.
The
series: Dating back to 1981, Russellville leads the series, 12-10, and has
won nine of the last 12 meetings.
Last year: A 13-point favorite at
home, Russellville had no mercy for the Mountaineers and clobbered its visitor
from Benton County, 46-7.
Notable stats: Johnny Brewer needed an ice pack
following Friday's visit to Southside Stadium. The Rogers quarterback threw 51
passes and completed 24 for a total of 387 yards. The Mounties passed for 425
yards - 200 more than Southside - and lost to the Rebels by 32
points.
Outlook: If Springdale reaches its expected potential, then
this game becomes the battle for the No. 4 spot in the AAAAA-West Conference
race.
It might seem odd that Russellville, with three losses, could even be
considered for the fourth slot against a Rogers club which lost for the first
time this season last week. But the schedules for both teams take harsh
turns.
Two of the Mounties' final three games are against playoff-worthy
Fayetteville and Springdale. Russellville finishes with the three lower-echelon
clubs - Northside, Bentonville and Van Buren.
Rogers can lose this game and
still finish ahead of Russellville by matching the Cyclones' number of wins in
the final three weeks of the season.
RPS Bottom Line: If you're
pulling for Rogers, it's good to know there is a way out if your team stumbles
this week. But asking Rogers to win games over both Springdale and Fayetteville
to hang on to a playoff spot is a big task. Russellville has its back to the
wall and will pull out all the stops. The Mounties are aware of that and know
they can take their biggest step toward postseason play by taking care of
business now and not waiting for something bad to happen ... Rogers 33,
Russellville 28.
Siloam Springs at No. 24
Greenwood
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at
Smith-Robinson Stadium
Records: The Siloam Springs Panthers (0-5-1)
are coached by Chris McBride, who is 3-12-1 in his second year as head coach.
Harv Welch (20-9) is the third-year coach of the Greenwood Bulldogs. Greenwood
is 5-1 in the AAAA-West Conference and sits three games ahead of Siloam Springs
at 3-0 in league play.
The series: Since 1987, the teams have played
annually and, at times, twice in the same year. Greenwood has a 10-6-1 edge and
has won nine in a row over the Panthers, the last four by a combined score of
138-15.
Last year: A healthy 23-point favorite, Greenwood went into
Siloam Springs and gave up its first conference points of the season before
prevailing, 25-6.
Notable stats: The Siloam
Springs offense continued to find a way to move the football on the ground, but
the Panthers had their worst night defensively in a 39-10 loss to Alma. The
Airedales rushed for more than nine yards a carry and 282 total yards and wore
down Siloam Springs with 19 points in the final stanza.
Outlook: The season is not lost, but the
Panthers knew they were in trouble when they started out 0-2 in the conference
with Alma, Greenwood and Harrison - the AAAA-West Conference's "big three" -
coming up in succession.
There has been improvement for the Panthers in
several areas, but while the running game improved against a good Alma defense,
the answers have been few and far between in other areas. Even Alma, not known
from throwing the football, stung the Panthers for two touchdown passes last
week.
RPS Bottom Line: They cannot do worse than the 0-10 campaign of
1997, but the Panthers are heading in the direction of an 0-7-1 start before
closing out the season with Huntsville and Clarksville. Greenwood's only loss
came at Fayetteville and it should remain that way until Harrison and Alma pop
up on the Blue Dogs' schedule ... Greenwood 30,
Siloam Springs 8.
Greenbrier at
Huntsville
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Eagle Stadium
Records:
Greenbrier coach Scott Schwartz (3-13) is 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the AAAA-West
Conference. Huntsville is 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the conference. The Eagles are
coached by Ken Harriman, who is in the second year of his second stint with the
team and owns a 72-51-1 record.
The series: This is the second meeting
of the two schools and Greenbrier holds a 1-0 lead.
Last year:
Huntsville was a 10-point favorite for whatever reason, but it was Greenbrier
that took a 10-point victory, 26-16, at Don Jones Stadium.
Notable
stats: Zane Trichel scored two Huntsville touchdowns last week, but the
Eagles' leading rusher was held to a season-low 60 yards in a 39-15 loss to
Morrilton.
Outlook: All three Huntsville opponents have rushed for
more than 200 yards this year. It's not a good trend, but it is a trend the
Eagles can end this week with the arrival of Greenbrier for Homecoming
festivities.
While winning a couple of games this year, Greenbrier has what
is known in these parts as Siloam Springsitis. It's a problem with the team
being unable to find the end zone. In six games, Greenbrier has scored 62
points. That's not all that bad, but 31 of those came in the first two games
against Beebe and Vilonia. The last four games have seen the Panthers limited to
no more than a touchdown and, in one case, an extra field goal that enabled
Greenbrier to defeat Siloam Springs, 10-7.
RPS Bottom Line: While the
Greenbrier offense is suspect, the Panthers have only had one bad defensive game
- two weeks ago in a 38-7 loss to Greenwood. This is a chance for either the
Greenbrier offense or Huntsville defense to make a statement. RPS will hedge on
its guess and take the Eagles in a game that could take three touchdowns to win
... Huntsville 21, Greenbrier
20.
Lincoln at
Prairie Grove
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Tiger
Stadium
Records: Lincoln is 1-5 after putting an end to a string of 18
consecutive 1AAA Conference defeats. Coach Mike Guthrie (2-14) is in his second
term with the Wolves. The Prairie Grove Tigers (4-2, 3-0) are ranked seventh in
Class AAA and coached by Danny Abshier, who has posted a 66-48-2 as a head
coach.
The series: Since 1989, Prairie Grove has dominated the Wolves,
winning all but one game. Lincoln's one win in the 14 years was a crucial 14-0
victory in 1994 that eventually led to the school's first - and last - playoff
appearance.
Last year: Prairie Grove was a 28-point favorite last year
and rolled over hapless Lincoln, 34-0, at Wolves Stadium.
Notable stats: Zach McIntosh had 13 carries for
10 yards prior to Friday's game with Farmington. Against the Cardinals, McIntosh
rushed for 101 yards on 16 carries and the Wolves turned in their third
consecutive 200-yard rushing game with 210. Lincoln's rushing leader remains
Travis Lange, though, who closed to within a yard of the 400 mark for 2003.
Lange scored his first touchdown for the only points of the game in the 6-0 win
over Farmington.
Outlook: After anybody
completes a big task, what's the first thing they do?
Exactly, they stop and
take a deep breath.
In the course of a week, there's plenty of time to catch
one's breath. But in the terms of a football season, six days between games is
not enough time to completely regroup.
First, there is the sense of
accomplishment. Lincoln spent more than a year getting close - at Gravette two
weeks ago - and then getting over the top with last week's victory over
Farmington.
Ah, but Prairie Grove has every right to be taking that same
collective deep breath. The Tigers have toppled the two teams that figured to be
the favorites in the 1AAA Conference race.
RPS Bottom Line: Treating
Lincoln like a "breather" would not be wise for the Tigers, but an average
effort from Prairie Grove should be enough. Lincoln's accomplishments don't have
to end with last week's win, however, and a couple of more victories can be
found before the 2003 campaign ends ... Prairie Grove 28, Lincoln
0.
Gravette at
Farmington
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Allen Holland
Field
Records: Gravette is 4-2 and 1-2 in the 1AAA Conference. Coach
Charlie Phillips is 63-47 as the head coach of the Lions. Farmington is 1-5
overall and 0-3 in the league under Mike Adams, who is in his first year at the
Cardinals' helm.
The series: Farmington leads the series 12-7-1 dating
back to a 12-12 tie in 1983. It's been an unpredictable series. Farmington won
the 2000 meeting, 34-7, at Gravette. Strangely, the home team had not won from
1997-2001.
Last
year: Gravette
knocked off Farmington, 34-12, at Bernard McAbee Field. The Lions came into the
game a solid 7-point favorite and went on to post the school's first 10-0 season
after disposing of the Cardinals.
Notable stats: Farmington's defense allowed 210
yards on the ground, but lowered the average yards per carry against it to 5.5.
Gravette has two players who are gaining more than 5.5 per carry - Ryan
Holloway, who was held to 36 yards on 12 totes by Green Forest last week; and
Zac Boyer, who had a season-high 137 yards and two touchdowns on 16
carries.
Outlook: Farmington learned just how good Lincoln's defense
is last week when the Cardinals suffered their first league shutout since a 6-0
overtime loss at Green Forest in 1999.
That game was a corner-turner for the
Cardinals.
Following that defeat, a surprise to pundits who believed the 1AAA
champion Tigers were heavy favorites, Farmington went on a roll that resulted in
wins over 16 of its next 17 opponents.
Gravette is just coming off high
times. The Lions had won 17 consecutive regular-season games before a trip to
Berryville - which resulted in a 34-0 defeat. Last week's 23-14 loss to Green
Forest revealed that Gravette may not be one of the four playoff teams in the
1AAA Conference after all.
RPS Bottom Line: The Lions were the kings
of the 1AAA jungle. Berryville's mighty uppercut knocked the Lions down a few
pegs and last week's loss took the Lions down a couple more notches and possibly
out of the playoff picture. Gravette can still hang on, but a loss to Farmington
would be something from which Gravette could recover ... Gravette
21, Farmington 15.
Green Forest at Shiloh
Christian
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Field of
Champions
Records: The Green Forest Tigers are 5-1 overall and 3-0 in
the league under the dean of 1AAA football coaches, Bill Gotto, who enters the
contest with a 97-83-2 record. Shiloh Christian coach Chris Wood (19-11-1) has
led the Saints to a 4-2 record overall and a 2-1 start in the 1AAA
Conference.
The series: Shiloh Christian is 3-0 against Green Forest
and has scored a total of 119 points - to 40 for Green Forest - in those three
meetings.
Last year: A scant, 4-point favorite, Shiloh Christian kept
its playoff hopes alive with a 20-7 win at Green Forest. The Saints lost two of
their next three, however, and finished the season 3-7.
Notable stats: Three different Shiloh Christian
receivers have 25 catches and 400 yards or more coming into tonight's game. Luke
Emert, Brady Arthur and Scott Godwin - who had 105 yards on six catches against
Gentry last week - have caught 84 passes for a total of 1,272
yards.
Outlook: This is another
playoff battle and the Shiloh Christian Saints have a few more teams in their
corner than normal. Namely, Gravette will be pulling for Shiloh
Christian.
After Green Forest defeated Gravette last week, the Lions find
themselves needing to find a way back into the playoff race. The quickest route
is for Shiloh Christian to beat Gentry and then for Gravette to beat SCS next
week in Benton County.
Green Forest controls its own destiny, but with
Prairie Grove and Berryville still on the schedule, the Red Tigers could find
themselves going from first place to the bubble quicker than an Emert-to-Emert
touchdown pass.
RPS Bottom Line: Shiloh Christian remains healthy and
that's bad news for the Saints' opponents. It's probably bad news for Gravette,
too, if the Saints can stay healthy. Shiloh Christian looks for a double play -
beating Green Forest and Gravette in succession - that would put the Saints in
the Class AAA playoffs for the first time in school history ... Shiloh
Christian 29, Green Forest 14.
Berryville at
Gentry
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at
Pioneer Stadium
Records: Doug Scheel's first year at Berryville has
seen the Bobcats go 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the 1AAA Conference. Gentry coach
Jeff Stewart is in his first year with the Pioneers and is going through some
hard times. Gentry has lost five in a row and stands 1-5 overall, 0-3 in the
league.
The series: This is the 17th consecutive year the two teams
have met and Berryville, due to a four-game winning streak over the Pioneers,
has taken a 9-7 lead.
Last year: Berryville was rolling and just
picking up speed at this point last year when the Bobcats easily disposed of
Gentry, 35-6, at Bobcat Stadium. The Bobcats went on to a 9-2-1
record.
Notable
stats: Jeff
Coonrod is second on the team in rushing with 29 carries for 249 yards, but
Coonrod has been kept in check by 1AAA opponents. He has gained only 29 yards on
nine carries since the league clashes began.
Outlook: Both Gentry and
Berryville are seething after last week's defeats.
Gentry is not happy after
getting "the routine" from Shiloh Christian. Most NWA folks know the routine:
Shiloh Christian scores every time it has the football, leads comfortably at
halftime and plays out the second half so that everybody can get home to watch
the highlights on one of the local stations.
Stewart did not care for the
treatment and said so.
At Berryville, a late hit on quarterback Steven
Trulove is still causing Bobcats' blood to boil. Trulove won't play this week
and the Bobcats are not the same team without him.
RPS Bottom Line:
Berryville will have a different quarterback, but the results should not vary
too much from what RPS predicts. The Bobcats are still one of the best teams in
this league and Gentry is not ... Berryville 31, Gentry
7.
Greenland at Subiaco
Academy
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Rebsamen Stadium
Records:
Greenland is 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the 4AAA Conference under Lee Larkan, who is
20-10 in his third year as the Pirates' skipper. Subiaco Academy is 2-4 overall
and 1-2 in the league. The Trojans are coached by Robert Pugh, in his first year
at the helm.
The series: Greenland has won three of four games against
Subiaco Academy and two of three from 1993-95. The Pirates won the first two,
24-0 and 26-19, before losing the last of the three meetings.
Last
year: It was expected to be a shootout and the result was probably more than
what anybody expected - or wanted. Subiaco Academy stormed back in the fourth
quarter only to lose, 46-43, at Greenland. The Pirates entered the game a
3-point favorite - by a score of 36-33.
Notable stats: Travis Grogan had the breakout
game he had to have, catching 11 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns in
the Pirates' 29-28 win over Ozark last week.
Outlook: With Waldron
meeting up with Booneville, Greenland can find itself in a first-place tie for
the 4AAA Conference lead following tonight's game. The Pirates still have
Booneville left to play, but can end up no worse than second if they are able to
win the rest of their conference games.
Three of the next four games can be
marked as "should" win, including tonight's trip to meet Subiaco Academy. At
worst, a 5-2 record won't keep Greenland out of the
playoffs.
Subiaco Academy does have a
conference victory, but the Trojans have that because of a date with Paris. The
Trojans are not the potent attacking team they were when LaMarcus Irvin was in
the Blue & Orange.
RPS Bottom Line: Bumps and bruises that match
the purple of the Ozark uniforms are going to happen when scuffling with the
Hillbillies. No team is a good team to play following a physical game with
Ozark, but at least the Pirates don't have to jump right back in against
Booneville. This is not a "gimme" game - as the Pirates probably learned from
last year - and one that could put the Pirates in a first-place tie ...
Greenland 27, Subiaco Academy 15.
West Fork at
Paris
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Eagle Stadium
Records: Bryan Dougan
is in his first year at West Fork and has the Tigers off to a 2-4 start. West
Fork is 0-3 in the 4AAA Conference. Paris coach Jay Chalk is still searching for
his first victory after 16 defeats. The Eagles are 0-6 overall and 0-3 in the
league.
The series: West Fork leads the series, 1-0.
Last
year: Making its first trip to West Fork, the Paris Eagles were an 8-point
underdog and on their way to an 0-10 record. West Fork welcomed the Eagles with
open arms and sent them away with a 34-14 defeat.
Notable stats: At Mansfield, West Fork turned in
its second best rushing game of the year with 92 yards from Ben Israel and 88
from Cody Prater - but lost, 32-7. Mansfield piled up 257 yards against West
Fork and three conference opponents are averaging 280.7 rushing yards per game
and more than 7.0 yards per carry.
Outlook: Be careful what you wish
for.
This league is far better than what West Fork folks might have thought
when the Tigers entered - and now seem to be stuck in - at the start of the 2002
reclassification cycle. From a distance, it appeared that Ozark and Booneville
were far superior to everyone and if a team was pretty good, they could slide
right into that third spot.
We all found out the hard way and, in case the
lesson wasn't learned the first time around, West Fork is getting to repeat the
course this year. Never is the league's strength more evident than when West
Fork plays Mansfield and, on two occasions now, has been thumped.
RPS
Bottom Line: Thankfully, there is a team or two in the league that has taken
the role of doormat and West Fork, after bouts with Ozark and Waldron, has a
chance to take advantage of one of the league's only perks. But Tigers beware:
Paris is not the conference doormat by choice ... West Fork 33, Paris
23.
Elkins at
Charleston
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Alumni Field
Records:
Coach Aaron Clark (20-19) is finally over the .500 mark and enjoying every
minute of it. The Elks are off to a 5-0 start that includes a league-leading 4-0
record. The Charleston Tigers are led by Shane Storey (112-27-1) and have
started the season 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the 1AA Conference.
The
series: Over more than 20 years, the teams have met nine times and
Charleston has always come out on top. Most recently, Charleston had been
dominant, scoring 40 points or more in each of the five games prior to last
year's meeting at John Bunch Memorial Field.
Last year: Charleston was
held under 30 points for the first time all season, but escaped with a 28-14
victory that wrapped up the 1AA Conference championship. Charleston entered the
game a 9-point favorite.
Notable stats: Four Elks have over 100 yards
through five games and the Elks have almost doubled their opponents' rushing
totals for the year. Elkins has 1,173 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns as
compared to 593 rushing yards allowed and four touchdowns - two of them last
week by Lavaca.
Outlook: Defense is what will win this game. Elkins is
closing the gap between itself and Charleston, but the Elks still have to prove
they can stop the Tigers.
This year, might be the Elks' best chance of all -
and judging by the mid-week news, it may be their last chance.
Elkins has
been tagged as the team to move up to Class AAA because of Bismarck's decision
not to field a football team for the next two seasons. That will put Elkins
ahead of Charleston in classification, but won't solve the problem of besting
the Tigers on the football field.
RPS Bottom Line: If
Charleston should go on and play for a state championship - an idea that has
passed through several minds over the past couple of years - then the Tigers
have teams like Elkins and Pea Ridge to thanks for making them better.
Charleston may not be thanking the Elks on Friday, however. Elkins has overcome
bigger projections in the past couple of years and, if the offense can produce
some points, we may be witnessing the passing of the 1AA torch ... Charleston
18, Elkins
6.
Hackett at Pea
Ridge
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at
Blackhawk Stadium
Records: Former Prairie Grove assistant Ed Baker has
led the Hackett Hornets to a 1-4 overall record, 1-3 in the 1AA Conference.
Coach Mike Harrod (13-12-1) has the Blackhawks at 3-2 overall and alone in third
place at 3-1 in the 1AA Conference.
The Series: In five previous
games, three of them played from 1984-86, Pea Ridge is unbeaten against the
Hornets. Hackett scored just twice on the Blackhawks in those first three
meetings, but tallied 18 last year in a 42-18 defeat. Things returned to normal
last month when the Blackhawks downed the Hornets, 24-6.
Earlier this
year: In the designated conference game, Pea Ridge took care of business
with a 24-6 win over Hackett. It was the Blackhawks' first win of the season and
helped them get the conference term off to a good start.
Notable
stats: Despite taking a week off, Ryan Barnett still leads the area in
rushing yardage with 715 yards for the Blackhawks. He has 11 touchdowns and has
averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
Outlook: Knowing that the teams would
play again, do you think it's possible that Pea Ridge simply "completed the
minimum requirement" to beat the Hornets. Think of it as a spider and a fly. The
spider has the fly all wrapped up, but doesn't want to "put it away" because it
needs a meal later.
Well, it's supper time.
Hackett comes to Pea Ridge for
a return bout with little at stake. Pea Ridge can keep the much-valued momentum
going with a decisive victory. The Blackhawks can also wake up Saturday morning
with a piece of the 1AA Conference championship within their grasp.
RPS
Bottom Line: It seems like there ought to be more on the line when two
conference teams play. There isn't much on the line, other than pride, and Pea
Ridge begins revving up its Dead-T attack for a crucial meeting with Lavaca and
a regular-season-ending showdown at Charleston ... Pea Ridge 25, Hackett
9.
This week's
picks:
Class
AAAAA
at Bryant 40, LR Hall 8
Conway 24, at LR McClellan 18
LR
Catholic 29, at North Little Rock 26
LR Central 27, at LR Parkview
0
Forrest City 28, at Blytheville 12
at Cabot 34, Mountain Home 0
at
Searcy 20, Jacksonville 19
Jonesboro 25, at West Memphis 22
at Benton 35,
Sheridan 23
Camden Fairview 28, at Texarkana 25
Pine Bluff 17, at El
Dorado 16
at Lake Hamilton 23, Watson Chapel 13
at Springdale 38,
Bentonville 14
Fayetteville 25, at Fort Smith Northside 6
Fort Smith
Southside 39, at Van Buren 8
at Rogers 33, Russellville
28
Class
AAAA
Batesville 24, at Beebe 6
at Greene Co. Tech 23, Nettleton
21
at Vilonia 28, Marion 8
Wynne 29, at Paragould 16
Crossett 29, at LR
Mills 15
at White Hall 25, Monticello 13
at Stuttgart 26, North Pulaski
8
at Sylvan Hills 12, West Helena Central 0
at Arkadelphia 27, Hot Springs
Lakeside 14
Pulaski Robinson 20, at Hope 8
Magnolia 24, at Hot Springs
18
at Malvern 24, LR Fair 18
at Alma 33, Clarksville 6
at Harrison 22,
Morrilton 13
at Huntsville 21, Greenbrier 20
at Greenwood 30, Siloam
Springs 8
Class AAA
Berryville 31,
at Gentry 7
Gravette 21, at Farmington 15
at Shiloh Christian 29, Green
Forest 14
at Prairie Grove 28, Lincoln 0
at Corning 27, Heber Springs
0
at Pocahontas 23, Highland 0
at Yellville-Summit 25, Hoxie 10
at
Newport 27, Mountain View 24
at East Poinsett Co. 29, Jonesboro Westside
12
at Gosnell 24, Trumann 0
Harrisburg 18, at Piggott 17
at Rivercrest
23, Osceola 16
Booneville 26, at Waldron 18
Greenland 27, at Subiaco
Academy 15
at Ozark 21, Mansfield 14
West Fork 33, at Paris 23
at
Atkins 42, Lamar 0
Dover 37, at Clinton 21
at Dardanelle 29, Perryville
21
at Pulaski Oak Grove 22, Mayflower 12
at
Bald Knob 35, England 21
at Central Arkansas Christian 23, Brinkley
9
Pulaski Academy 36, at DeWitt 0
at Lonoke 21, Marianna 12
Ashdown 23,
at DeQueen 13
Fouke 24, at Mena 21
at Prescott 35, Fountain Lake
13
Dollarway 30, at McGehee 22
at Star City 22, Dumas 9
at Warren 28,
Fordyce 18
at Hamburg 33, Lake Village 24
Class AA
at Mountainburg
28, Cedarville 19
at Charleston 18, Elkins 6
at Pea Ridge 25, Hackett
9
Lavaca 38, at Hartford 12
at Earle 18, Cross County 8
Hughes 41, at
Parkin 6
Marked Tree 26, at Walnut Ridge 18
Palestine 43, at Turrell
19
at Salem 34, Rector 16
Arkansas Baptist 26, at LR Christian 25
at
Marshall 21, Bigelow 19
Danville 20, at Hector 15
Magazine 19, at LR
Episcopal 6
at Ola 24, LR Lutheran 17
Bauxite 34, at Magnet Cove
9
Mountain Pine 28, at Caddo Hills 10
at Jessieville 29, Centerpoint
8
at Mount Ida 30, Cutter Morning Star 14
Glen Rose 38, at Pottsville JV
15
Augusta 23, at Harding Academy 20
Barton 26, at Hazen 9
at Carlisle
17, Des Arc 9
Elaine 28, at Marvell 9
at Bearden 21, Hampton
19
Norphlet 24, at Harmony Grove 18
Junction City 29, at El Dorado West
Side 0
Smackover 30, at
Sparkman 14
at Horatio 22, Dierks 21
Foreman 26, at Murfreesboro
25
at Mineral Springs 19, Gurdon 10
at Lafayette County 31, Spring Hill
12
Altheimer 21, at Dermott 19
at Gillett 26, Eudora 17
Rison 36, at
Hermitage 6
at Woodlawn 27, Strong 15
Independent
Lee
Academy 19, DeSoto Academy 12
West
Memphis Christian 34, Bayou Academy 15